The party is said to have been formed to champion the cause of marginalised sections

Kathmandu, February 3

Rizwan Ansari, a Central Committee member of Upendra Yadav-led Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal today formed Sanghiya Nava Bichar Samuha, to press the party leadership to ensure proportional representation of all ethnic groups in all structures of the party from the District to the top level.

There are 14 members in the Coordination Committee of the Sanghiya Nava Bichar Samuha.

The group issued a press release today urging the party to address its six-point issue or else it would call a national cadres’ meet ‘to take necessary decision.’

The group demanded that the party call a special meeting of its central committee to take a call within two weeks on the proposal registered at the party recently by seven CC members.

Ansari told THT that they had registered a proposal recently in the party demanding proportional representation of all ethnic groups in all levels of the party structure from district level to central level, but the party Chair had dismissed the agenda saying such an issue could be discussed only in the General Convention of the party.

In its six-point demand, the group urged the party to make portfolio division of the party inclusive and to apologise to the public for taking part in the prime ministerial election held recently.

The group also said that the political report passed by the party recently should mention that the new constitution should be rewritten as amendments to the constitution could not fully ensure the rights of marginalised sections of society. The group also demanded that party lawmakers resign from the Parliament and take part in the agitation. It also called the party to be ready to form a grand alliance of agitating parties.

Ansari, who is leading the disgruntled faction, said that they had formed their party to champion the cause of the marginalised sections as the other major parties had abandoned the agendas of the marginalised sections, but their party too made the same mistake. He said the party dropped proportional representation of all ethnic groups from the party statute.

Co-chair of the party Rajendra Shrestha said he was not aware that Ansari had formed a new group but his allegation that the party had dropped proportional representation provision was not true. He said the provision of the statute before unification entailed that the party ensured proportional representation of all ethnic groups in all levels of the party structure and was not practical. “How can we ensure Madhesi’ representation in a hill district?” he wondered.

Shrestha said the change made to the party statute ensured that representation of the ethnic group would be as fixed by the party and that was a practical provision.